Wedding Day

Ceremony

The Swanner House

Ceremony + Reception

Our Wedding

On May 17, 2025, Elyse met her friend Madden for brunch at Antoine’s Café in San Clemente. It was the perfect halfway meeting point for the two of them, and Elyse randomly selected that particular café in that particular town on that particular street on that particular day. Or so she thought! A few storefronts down, Corey was having coffee, catching up, and reading scripture with his brother Taylor. Elyse, having attended Westmont College in Santa Barbara, had known Taylor, as well as Corey’s middle brother, Trevor, who also went there, but had somehow never met Corey, who graduated one year before she got there.When Madden and Elyse walked over to Sur Coffee, which is where the guys had met, Elyse automatically assumed that it was Taylor and his brother Trevor sitting there. She did briefly wonder why Trevor looked so different, but she went with it, immediately walking up to the table, giving them both a big hug, and asking how they’ve been.On the flipside, Corey and Taylor had, perchance, chosen to go to coffee that day, and Taylor had even wanted to go to a different coffee shop, but Corey just felt in his gut that “Sur was the way to go.” Fast-forward to a very excited Elyse walking up to their table and giving them both a big hug. Corey was left wondering, “Who is this girl? Where did she come from, and why do I not remember meeting her?”They began chatting, and slowly Elyse realized this was an entirely different Stephens brother! As she heard about Corey’s work with special needs children, his faith, and first-hand witnessed his friendly and warm personality, it became clear that he was extremely special. She particularly noticed how bright and joyful his eyes were, and that they were filled with the Holy Spirit. They stood in the middle of the coffee shop, talking for about 40 minutes, and then they parted ways. Corey turned to Taylor and said, “Who is that? She is my kind of girl. Why haven’t you set me up with her before?” At the same time, Madden turned to Elyse and said, “I should totally set you up with Corey!”That night, Corey texted Elyse to go out, and they set the date for May 30. However, even in the time between their meeting, between texting and calls, it was clear that there was something special happening. Elyse, trying to play cool on the outside, was not playing it so cool on the inside. She has a journal entry from May 21, 2025, where she writes in all capitals, “I’M GOING TO MARRY COREY STEPHENS!!!!!”Their first date lasted about 10 hours, where Elyse showed Corey around her hometown, Chino Hills, and ended with him meeting her parents, Craig and Becky. The second date was equally incredible, where Corey showed Elyse around his hometown of Dana Point, and his new home of San Clemente, ending the night with her meeting Grandma D, and his parents, Jim and Val.On June 16, Corey asked Elyse to be his girlfriend. A month after that, Elyse had written a list of 100 things she loved about Corey. After hearing that, he told her that he loved her. Their first months of dating were during the summer months, filled with talks and conversations, trips to the beach, sports, time with family, going out to eat, and, mostly, falling head over heels in love with each other. In late August, they got to take a trip to Pinehurst, North Carolina, to visit Corey’s Uncle John and Aunt Leah, as well as a visit to Virginia for Corey to meet Elyse’s grandparents and her Uncle Joe. The fall season brought a new layer of busyness as Elyse resumed her MFT program and Corey continued pouring into his e-commerce business; however, they still made tons and tons of time for one another. The holidays held special memories together, and they were able to have Christmas Eve and Christmas together with both of their families.They continued to pursue one another, enjoying going to church with each other on Sundays, having beach days on Saturdays, working hard during the week, and eating lots and lots of steak! As Corey’s proposal drew closer still, he and Elyse were able to continually pursue one another, feeling so thankful that the Lord had given them one another in this life.On May 16, the date that Corey and Elyse celebrate their one year of knowing one another, they spent the day walking through their most memorable spots, such as where they had their first kiss at the jail cell off of Los Rios St. (it was romantic at the time, trust us!), going to the table where they met at Sur Coffee, and spending time reading the book of the Bible they had been going through, Proverbs, as well as thanking the Lord in prayer for all He had done in this past year.They were going to end the night at their favorite spot, The Chart House, but Corey had something better in mind. They went to the section of beach down from the iconic San Clemente Sea Street called “The Hole,” and there, Corey proposed and asked Elyse to be his wife. Their family was on the bluffs above, and they cheered and rushed to the beach as soon as she had said yes.Now they are planning their wedding, and would love for you to be a part of our joyful celebration of God’s goodness. They are celebrating on November 20, the Friday before Thanksgiving, at the Swanner House in San Juan Capistrano, and would love to have you there!

E + C's story

Our Story

Photos

Corey’s younger brother + leader in all things “chill” 

Trevor Stephens

Elyse’s childhood best friend + built in lifelong therapist 

Macie Isley

Corey’s youngest brother + community connector (volleyball, anyone?)

Taylor Stephens 

Elyse’s college roommate + soul sister 

Ashley Kytlica 

Corey’s college roommate and lifelong friend + athletic inspiration 

Bryce Morison

Elyse’s sister-in-law to be + fellow Disney enthusiast 

Mady Stephens

Corey’s lifelong friend + personal comedian

Kyle Alexander 

Elyse’s sister-in-law to be + fellow Biola MFT studier 

Delaney Stephens 

Elyse’s lifelong neighbor + official walking buddy

Audrey Johnstone

Corey’s lifelong friend + pioneer in all things health

Corey Colapinto 

Elyse’s college bestie + adventure buddy

Sienna Tounger 

Corey’s college friend + deeply trusted confidante 

Cory Rogers 

Wedding Party

Q + A

Hampton Inn &amp; Suites Mission Viejo is our preferred hotel. We have reserved a room block for our guests. Please go to https://group.hamptoninn.com/r4hnvq to receive the group rate of $155 per night or you can call 1-800-HILTONS and mention the Elyse Wagner Wedding or the unique code 905 to receive our group rate. This hotel is 20 minutes southeast from our recommended John Wayne Airport (non -rush hour traffic). The hotel is approximately 10 minutes north of the Swanner House (on the Friday afternoon of the ceremony rush hour traffic may add another 30 minutes. Please plan accordingly). It offers complimentary hot breakfast and free parking. We recommend booking early, as the discounted group rate rooms are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Hampton Inn & Suites Mission Viejo

Residence Inn by Marriott San Juan Capistrano has an outdoor swimming pool, fitness center, a shared lounge and terrace in San Juan Capistrano. This 4-star hotel offers a 24-hour front desk, an ATM and free WiFi. The hotel has a grill and a hot tub. The hotel will provide guests with air-conditioned rooms offering a desk, a coffee machine, a fridge, a dishwasher, a safety deposit box, a flat-screen TV and a private bathroom with a shower. The rooms have a closet. A buffet, continental or American breakfast is served at the property. Guests can enjoy playing minigolf and tennis, or take advantage of the business center. Capistrano Beach is 1.2 miles from Residence Inn by Marriott San Juan Capistrano, while Fashion Island is 21 miles from the property. John Wayne Airport is 21 miles away.

Residence Inn by Marriott Dana Point San Juan Capistrano

Located 18 miles from Orange County Airport, this Fairfield Inn provides its guests with a heated outdoor pool and whirlpool spa. It is 22.7 miles from Disneyland. Guest rooms include free cable channels and pay-per-view movies for entertainment. Each comes with a large desk and lounge chair. In-room coffee maker and ironing facilities are also provided. Hot breakfast can be enjoyed 5 times a week and features Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwiches. There are a number of international restaurants in the area. Fairfield Inn Orange County offers an on-site fitness center with cardio equipment, stationary bike and more. The Laguna Beach is 20 miles away.

Fairfield Inn by Marriott Mission Viejo / Orange County

Elevate your Orange County escape at Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa, where our hotel provides awe-inspiring panoramic ocean views. Seek new adventures with our prime location near Doheny State Beach, Dana Point Harbor and Laguna Beach, perfect for a day trip. Throughout our resort, enjoy a casually sophisticated setting across our guest rooms, restaurants and full-service spa. Following a day of pampering at our spa, settle into one of our upscale accommodations. Many rooms featuring private balconies to take in a sunrise or sunset over the Pacific Ocean. 

Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort and Spa

Accommodations

Things to Do

Registry

The ceremony will be at 3 p.m. on Friday afternoon. Temperatures normally are in the low 70s this time of year during the afternoon. During the evening temperatures are usually in the high 50s.This will be an outdoors southern elegance wedding. We ask the ladies to wear light colored cocktail dresses, midi or maxi dresses, elegant jumpsuits or dressy separates with heels, wedges or dressy flats. Please note if wearing heels the ceremony will be on grass. A light jacket, sweater or wrap is recommended for the cooler evening temperatures.Men, please wear a suit or dress pants with a dress shirt and tie. A sports coat or blazer is encouraged but optional. It is recommended for the coolness of the evening. Please feel free to bring a pair of cowboy / cowgirl boots to change into for the dance floor!

Dress Code